Filter



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. SUTTON.

FILTER.

No. 470,338. Patented Mar. 8, 1892.

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4 Sheets-Sheet J. vSUTTON. FILTER.

No. 470,338. Patented Mar. 8, 1892.

(No Model.)

(No Model.)

J. SUTTON. FILTER.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Patented Mar. 8; 18 92.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets'Sheet 4,

J. SUTTON.

FILTER.

o. 470,338. Patented Mar. 8,1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN SUTTON, OF ISLIP, NEW YORK.

FILTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 'No. 470,338, dated March8, 1892.

Application filed October 9, 1890. Serial No. 367,481- (No model.)

T0 on whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN SUTTON, of Islip, in the county of Suffolk andState of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inApparatus for Filtering Beer and other Liquids, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for filtering beerand other liquids in which the liquid to be filtered is conducted undervat-pressure to a point above the vat, and is conducted thence to thefilter or filters, located in any desired position on a level with orabove the vat, and thence to the barrels or other receptacles in whichthe filtered liquid is to be stored.

A practical embodiment of my invention 1s represented in theaccompanyiug drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents the apparatus withfilter located substantially upon a level with the vat. Fig. 2 is asimilar view showing the filter upon a higher level than the vat, andprovided with means for exerting a suction upon the outlet side of thefilter. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the filter upon a still higherlevel, and means for exerting a still greater suction upon the outletside of the filter; and Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are enlarged views of parts indetail.

A represents the vat, and B a stand-pipe into and up which the liquid tobe filtered is forced from the vat by pressure exerted upon the surfaceof the liquid in the vat A. The pressure may be exerted by an ordinaryforcepump (denoted at P in the drawings) adapted to force air or anygas, as may be desired, into the vat. The vat-pressure may be sufficientto raise the liquid to the line a, Fig. 1, only, from whence the liquidwill be siphoned off to the filter, or it may be sufficient to force itthroughout the length of the pipe 13 and to its entrance to the filter.The pipeB is here represented as standing upright, and the liquid isconducted from its upper end to the filter. It may, however, be in othershape than straight and upright, and the liquid may be led to the filterfrom a point below its upper end. The liquid is here shown as deliveredfrom the lower part of the vat through a cock 0. into a pipe a (shown asa piece of flexible hose connected'near one of its ends to the cook a.)I prefer to use this flexiblehose, so that connection may be made withany of the different vats of a series, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3.The upper end of the hose from the vat A is coupled to any suitable kindof cock 2 (here shown as a three-way cock) for the purpose of admittingliquid, air, and gas to the trap chambers or vessel 3. They may admitthe liquid from one or more vats at the same time, and one or more ofthem may be shutoff from the trap or vat, or may be opened to it andwithout stopping the operation, thus permitting another tank or vat tobe coupled, ready for the liquid to flow to the stand-pipe B by turningthe cock to suit. This trap forms a sediment-vessel and may be of anysuitable form and size, (transparent or not,) and may be provided atpleasure with a di vision-wall 3, of any suitable height, for separatingthe ascending liquid from the descending impurities. It is desirablethat the combined trap and sediment-vessel be somewhat larger indiameter than the column B. Within the trap-shell, about midway of itslength, is a division havinga circular passage through it, centrallyplaced, its ends forming an upper and lower seat 4 t for the upper andlower floating-ball valves acting directly over each other. The floatingball 7, when the liquid ceases to flow and the air and gases enterinstead, will descend andcenter and fit tightly to its seat when theliquid-surface is pressed upon and lowered by the incoming pressure ofair and carbonic acid or other gas into the chamber 5, (see dottedball,) and will thus prevent the air and gases passing from the vat tothe lower chamber 6 and to the column B. The floating ball 8 in thelower chamber is to prevent a back flow of liquid from the columnthrough the chamber and valve-passage to the vat. (See dotted ballseated.) The usual check-valve may be used there or elsewhere whererequired. instead of the balls. The positions of the balls are indicatedwhile the current of liquid is passing from the vat or vats to thecolumn. The ball-valves have the advantage of not choking, while theyare self-acting and prevent the air and gases entering the column andfiltering apparatus and prevent the return of liquid from the columnshould intermittent pressure occur or the operation be stopped. In suchevent the ball 8 would be pressed to its seat by the weight of liquid inthe pipe or column B. The liquid-conducting pipe B may be cast or madeintegral with the trap-shell 3 and is connected to the column B by asuitable coupling B its bottom end opening within the chamber 6, whereit may be enlarged and grated, if required, to prevent the ball 8 fromreducing the area of the outlet 9 to the column or pipe 13.

O is the liquid and air and gas inlet or conduit from the cock 2 to thechamber 5. The bottom of chamber 6, which may be of suitable size andshape, collects any descending sediment coming from the vats, trap, orcolumn,'which matter may be led off, as occasion may require, by theblow and cleansing cock D which also serves for flushing as well as foremptying the column or trap This provision for gravitatin'g and removingthe impurities from the liquid before it is led to the filter is amatter of great importance, as it serves to relieve the filter in agreat measure from clogging material.

M M are removable covers to admit the balls to their chambers.

N is a vent for leading off air and gases when so required.

In operation the cocks at and 2 being opened and pressure applied to thesurface of the liquid in the vat A, the liquid will be forced therefromupwardly into and through the trap 3 and into the pipe B, from which itmay be siphoned off through one or more return-bends b, which may betransparent or not, or the pressure may be sufiiciently great to forceit through the pipe B to the entrance to the filter. For the purpose ofkeeping the pressure within the vat uniform, I provide either the vat orthe pump with a suitable safetyvalve, which may be adjusted to securethe desired pressure.

E represents that portion of the conductin g-pipe which communicates atone end with the inlet side of the filter and at its opposite end withthe column or pipe 13, and E represents that portion of theconducting-pipe which communicates atone end with the outlet side of thefilter and at its opposite end with the apparatus for delivering theliquid into the storage-receptacles. In the present example of myinvention I have shown the pipe E connected with the upper end of thepipe or column B bya return-bend b, and the latter is provided with asuitable vent b. In the pipe E is a cock f, andin connection therewiththere may be a sediment-trap, if desired. Near the cock f and arrangedin the pipe E so as to communicate with the latter is a coupling orflushing-cock f. Any well-known or approved means may be provided forrelieving the filter and pipes where required of pent up gases and foam.In Fig. 1 I have shown the pipe E leading from the outlet of the filterextended upwardly from the filter and arranged to discharge the filteredliquid into the storage-receptacles g at a point above the filter.

The return-bend, where the pipe E changes from an upward direction to adownward one, is denoted by G. The pipe E may be carried laterally orupwardly to any required distance in order to exert any desiredbackpressure upon outlet side of the filter and also to determine thepressure or velocity with which the liquid shall be discharged into thestorage-receptacles at the different heights. The liquid will be backedup against the outlet end of the filter whenever the discharge is abovethe end of the filter, and the amount of back-pressure upon that side ofthe filter will depend upon the height of the discharge above thefilter. The discharge end of the pipe E is provided with branches havingsuitable cocks g and said discharge-pipe is also provided with a vent itand a fiushing-cock The liquid is discharged into thestorage-receptacles'g by manipulating the cooks g \Vhen the liquid isheld in the pipe orcolumn B under a pressure which is not sufficient toforce it through the return-bend b, the apparatus may be started bymanipulat ing the cock fand vent b, so as to fill the pipe E with waterand also the return-bend b. The vent b may then be closed and the liquidwill start to fiow from the pipe or column B by siphoning action. henthe water has escaped through the cock f and the liquid to be filteredappears, the cock may be closed and the liquid will then be caused totravel through the filter F. When the vat-pressure is sufficient toforce the liquid to be filtered directly to the inlet side of thefilter, there will of course be no need of the above-described steps instarting.

In the examples of my improvement illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 provisionis made for exerting a greater pull on the outlet side of the filter bythe column of liquid in the pipe E and a lesser pressure upon the inletside by decreasing the length of the column in the r p E In all examplesof my invention the liquid is raised by pressure in the vat A, up thecolumn B, and is thence led either by siphoning or pressure to thefilter or filters, and this provision for elevating the liquid in acolumn above the vat by pressure upon the liquid in the vat beforetransferring it to the filters is a very prominent feature of myimproved apparatus, for reasons which will appear in the followingparagraph.

Around the uprising column or pipe B and spaced therefrom I locate atube 0. The space between the exterior of the pipe B and the interior ofthe tube 0 forms a heat-ing or cooling chamber through which any suitable refrigerating or heating medium may be passed for the purpose ofchilling and condensing the liquids, gases, and foam, or for thinningliquids which may be too dense for purposes of rapid and effectivefiltering. An inlet-pipe j and an exit-pipe 9' are shown for purposes ofkeeping up a circulation of the heating or cooling medium about the pipe13. Means for heating or cooling the liquid may also be applied to thepipes E E, if desired. The uprising column or pipe B may be ofsufficient size to supply pipes leading therefrom to several filtersinstead of one, and the structure is such that the warming and coolingmay be accomplished in a very convenient and economical way, while atthe same time the liquid may be freed to a great extent of its sedimentbefore being led to the filters. It also provides for introducing theliquid to the filter under its own weight exerted upon the inlet or uponthe outlet side, or upon both, and does away with the necessity of usingan exhaust mechanisn1+such, for example, as an exhaust-pump-to draw theliquid through the filter, and thereby prevents the loss of such gasesas it is desirable should be retained therein. It also provides a simpleand ready means for discharging the filtered liquid upon floors abovethe vat, where plenty of light and pure air may be had.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In filtering apparatus, the combination, with a vat and a filter, ofa pipe or column extending upwardly from the vat and communicating withthe filter, a sediment-chamber at the base of the pipe or column, andmeans for maintaining pressure within the vat to force the liquid to befiltered up the said pipe or column, substantially as set forth.

2. In filtering apparatus, the combination,

with a vat and a filter, of a pipe or column extending upwardly from thevat and cornmunicatin g with the filter, a chamber surrounding theuprising pipe or column for cooling or heating, a sediment-chamber atthe base of the column, and means for maintaining pressure in the vat toforce the liquid to be filtered up the pipe or column, substantially asset forth.

3. In filtering apparatus, the combination, with the vat and filter, ofan uprising pipe or column leading from the vat and communicating withthe filter, a sediment-chamber at the base of the column and a partitionwithin the column in proximity to the sediment-chamber for separatingthe upward flow of the liquid from the vat and the downward passage ofthe sediment, substantially as set forth.

4. In filtering apparatus, the combination, with the vat and filter, ofthe uprising column leading from the vat and communicating With thefilter and the sediment-chamber at the base of the column, the saidsedimentchamber having a valve-opening in its top for the admission ofthe liquid from the vat, an opening to the uprising column at its side,and a blow-0E cock at its lower end, substantially as set forth.

JOI-IN SUTTON.

Witnesses FREDK. HAYNES, GEORGE BARRY.

